Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Player Profile: DeMarco Murray
This is the beginning of an ongoing segment I will be writing throughout the offseason about all kinds of players and what you should expect from those players going forward. At the end of each segment I will offer a projection of their statistics for the 2014 season. With these segments, I will try my hardest to make this offseason go by as fast as possible for you :) Enjoy!

DeMarco Murray
Murray easily had his best year since being drafted in 2011. Murray finished 2013 with 217 carries, 1,124 yards rushing, and 9 TD's. What is even more staggering is that Murray had 53 receptions on top of those rushing numbers for 350 yards and 1 receiving TD. 3 out of the final 4 weeks of the Fantasy Football season Murray had 20 or more fantasy points (most leagues finish their season in week 16, so we will go with that). That's incredible! On top of all of this, Murray averaged an amazing 5.2 yards per carry. There seems to be lots to be excited about when thinking about drafting Murray in 2014.
Now, lets get to the bad. The obvious rebuttal to anything great that is said about Murray is his history of injuries. Murray is 3 years into his NFL career and has never played a full NFL season. In 2013, Murray was forced to miss 2 games due to injury. Murray topped 20 carries in only 3 games. Also, 2013 was Murray's first season of posting more than 1,000 yards rushing.
In conclusion, a lot of Fantasy Football experts are calling for Murray to be a mid to late first round draft pick for 2014. I cannot feel comfortable in drafting a player that has such a history of injuries with my first round draft pick. I would rather draft a player that has a healthier history and more upside such as Eddie Lacy or Zac Stacy. I like Murray a lot, just not as a first round pick. I'd feel more comfortable drafting Murray in the second or third round. If you plan on drafting Murray be prepared for him to miss a few games. Have a legit backup RB. As the old saying goes "You won't win your Fantasy Football league in the first round, but you can definitely lose it".

Friday, December 27, 2013

We touched on the first round of Fantasy Football drafts for 2014. This week we start to look towards the second round! Following our early run of RB's in the first round, we will begin to see more WR's and possibly other positions begin to be drafted. Remember, these are based on a 12-team standard league and will probably change a lot through the course of the next 6 months. Enjoy!

2nd Round

13. Josh Gordon- Gordon was a thing of beauty in 2013. Not only did he outperform nearly every WR, but he did it with 3 awful QB's throwing him the ball. I think we can all agree that Brandon Weeden, Brian Hoyer, and Jason Campbell are not very good QB's. If Cleveland drafts a young QB in the draft it would help Gordon's value. If Cleveland decides to go with Hoyer as their starter we saw that Gordon can contribute with him as well.14. Zac Stacy- I called for Stacy to get the starting roll in St. Louis before preseason last year. It took 5 weeks for it to happen but it finally did. When it did we were rewarded with a workhorse RB. Head coach Jeff Fischer loves to run the ball. It was evident by how he used Stacy. You can count on Stacy to get around 20 touches a game. That is solid gold in fantasy football. He is a safe bet.15. Giovani Bernard- This all depends on what the Cincinnati Bengals do with BenJarvis Green-Ellis in the offseason. If they let him walk in free agency then Bernard's value will go sky high since he will be the only RB with any talent on the Bengals' roster. Bernard has the talent. He just needs a few more touches to join that elite level.16. AJ Green- AJ Green has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each season he has been in the NFL. He is one of the few WR's that will consistently produce for you. He is as safe a play as they come at WR.17. Arian Foster- One can only hope that the half year off that Foster receiving due to his back injury will help keep him fresh. Foster has a lot of miles on his wheels and because of this a lot of owners will be timid to take him in their draft due to him wearing down. Let's give Foster the benefit of the doubt and remember the fact that he is an every down RB. He does it all. That has to carry some credibility, doesn't it?18. Aaron Rodgers- Rodgers always seems to consistently perform. Last season, Rodgers suffered a fracture to his collarbone which caused him to miss week 9-16. With the weapons at his disposal, I think we can all count on a great comeback from Rodgers. He is still in the prime of his career.19. Demaryius Thomas- Thomas was one of those safe WR's that had a ton of upside. The first half of 2013 was a little rough but the second half was fantastic. He has Peyton Manning throwing him the ball along with a great set of receivers to help take the defensive coverage off of him. Expect more great seasons from this young WR.20. Julio Jones- Julio Jones was on a tear up until week 5 where he suffered an ankle injury. Assuming he will be 100% healthy by training camp, I see no reason that Jones can't perform like he was the first 5 weeks of 2013. He still has Roddy White to keep the opposing defenses honest and he still has Matt Ryan throwing to him. Expect a great year for Julio if he can stay healthy.21. DeMarco Murray- Murray is one of those players that I am always worried about due to the injury history that comes with him. 2013 was his best year as a professional by far. He played in every game with the exception of two. He finished the season on a high note as he scored 20 or more points in 3 of his last 5 games. If you're willing to gamble a little, Murray is your man. He has a ton of talent but just be sure you plan for him to miss a few games a year. When he is healthy he is as good as they come.22. Drew Brees- No QB has been as consistent as Drew Brees. Brees is a near lock for around 5,000 yards passing and around 40 TDs. Those are incredible numbers from a fantasy perspective. The high powered offense in New Orleans isn't going anywhere and Brees has a few grand years left in the tank. Draft Brees with confidence.23. Dez Bryant- Many people drafted Dez Bryant with the thought that he was going to continue the 2013 season with how he finished the 2012 season. While Bryant did have a great year, it wasn't nearly as great as many thought it was going to be, and therefor was slightly disappointing. Bryant is in a great offense and has a good QB throwing him the ball in Tony Romo. Bryant is a WR1 in all formats.24. Brandon Marshall- Brandon Marshall has 7 straight seasons of over 1,000 yards receiving. That's incredible. Since joining the Chicago Bears in 2011 he has scored no less than 11 TD's. With the emergence of Alshon Jeffery he may lose a few looks in the passing game but it will also lessen the double teams that Marshall has been receiving for years. He will be 30 in 2014 and still a lot to offer fantasy owners.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

2014 Fantasy Football 1st round draft picks
In this segment, I'm gonna post my first round draft picks for a standard 12 team league. Of course these could easily switch around over the course of the next few months with the NFL draft in May and all, but it's still fun just to have a glance of what fantasy drafts might look like as of now :)

1. Jamaal Charles (RB1)- What can you say about Jamaal Charles that everyone doesn't already know?! He is this years Fantasy Football MVP. He posted 2,100 total yards this season. Not only did he get the carries but he recorded a ridiculous amount of receptions as well! He is by far, leaps and bounds, ahead of everyone else as the safest pick in the draft. He is a MONSTER!

2. LeSean McCoy (RB2)- There were a few question marks about McCoy coming into 2013 about his health, the new head coach in Chip Kelly, and a totally new offense. McCoy put everyone's doubts to rest from the opening week. He will be highly sought after in 2014.

3. Adrian Peterson (RB3)- Peterson will be 29 for the 2014 season and has a lot of tread on his tires. That doesn't really matter in my eyes. Peterson has defied the laws of science year after year. Emmitt Smith was very productive well into his 30's. There's no reason to believe that Peterson can't do the same. He has plenty of very productive years left in the tank. If Minnesota drafts a young QB it may boost his value as well.4. Matt Forte (RB4)- Matt Forte was one of the most productive and consistent RBs in 2013. With such a potent offense that features Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, there is no reason to believe he can't do it again next year. Teams will not be able to stack the box against Forte due to the presence of Marshall and Jeffery. He is as safe a pick as it gets.5. Marshawn Lynch (RB5)- It's shocking that Lynch has been in the league for 7 years. He will still only be 28 years old in 2014. Being on a team that is run first like Seattle has it's benefits, especially from a fantasy perspective. He is a lock to get 300+ touches. Beast Mode, just like the RBs before him, is a very safe pick and will produce for your team.6. Eddie Lacy (RB6)- This is the first interesting pick I threw into my first round. I loved what I saw from Eddie Lacy in year one. Not only did he get over 250 carries in his first year, one thing people don't realize is that he caught over 30 receptions as well! He is an every down RB. It doesn't hurt that he is THE goal-line back as well. Green Bay has found their workhorse back for years to come and the days of playing RB roulette are over. Look for more to come from Lacy in 2014.7. Calvin Johnson (WR1)- You remember last year when Megatron put up all of those yards but only 5 TDs?! Well this year the TDs came with all the yardage as well. Johnson is in a tier of his own at WR and as long as he has Matthew Stafford throwing him the ball he will always be a stud. Detroit is always among the top 5 in passing attempts each year. That is music to Megatron owners' ears.8. Jimmy Graham (TE1)- Some say that Jimmy Graham is the single greatest advantage that an owner can have on his team. They say this because Graham is like having an extra WR1 at your TE position. Those people are correct. He, like Calvin Johnson, is in a league of his own at the TE position. With Drew Brees throwing him the ball there are many great days ahead for Graham. Don't feel bad drafting a TE with your first round pick (as long as it's Graham, and Graham only).9. Doug Martin (RB7)- Doug Martin broke so many fantasy owners' hearts this year. In week 7 Martin suffered a shoulder injury that forced Tampa Bay to put him on IR to end his season. I like Martin as a bounce back candidate in 2014. Not only will he have the opportunity and carries, but the offensive line for the Buccaneers is improving. Add in the fact that Mike Glennon has developed into a decent QB that opposing defenses will have to respect and you have to like what you see from Martin.10. Alfred Morris (RB8)- Alf didn't have the season that most were hoping for after his incredible rookie campaign. I like Alfred Morris as a first round draft pick for one reason and one reason alone: he's a workhorse RB. Morris is a great downhill RB for Washington and is very reliable. The only drawback to his game is that he rarely catches any passes out of the backfield. He still is consistent and reliable.11. Peyton Manning (QB1)- A lot of people expected Peyton to have a great season with the weapons at his disposal, but nobody expected THIS! At the time of this writing, Manning was on pace to break nearly every single season QB record. He is one of those players that can single-handedly get your fantasy team a win. He is getting up there win the age category but I still believe he has one really great season left in the tank.12. Le'Veon Bell (RB9)- I decided to put Le'Veon Bell in the first round because of the same reason I gave for Alfred Morris: He's a workhorse RB. He missed the first 4 weeks of the season in 2013 and was still able to finish as a top 20 RB. He receives all of his teams carries and catches passes out of the backfield. Throw in the fact that he a goal-line back and it's solid gold from a fantasy standpoint. If he gets a full offseason of work along with a full preseason it wouldn't surprise me one bit if he finished higher than this.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Super Bowl Rankings
This is it. If you have made it this far and are playing for a Super Bowl, Congratulations! These will be my final weekly rankings of the season, as most leagues finish their season in week 16. I do hope most of you all will stop in during the offseason. I will be putting up player profiles and projections throughout the offseason. It should be a good read :) If you haven't looked already, I posted my 'Super early 2014 rankings' here: http://fantasyfootballwar.blogspot.com/2013/12/super-early-2014-rankings.html

QB

Peyton Manning @ Hou

Nick Foles vs Chi

Philip Rivers vs Oak

Drew Brees @ Car

Cam Newton vs NO

Matthew Stafford vs NYG

Colin Kaepernick vs Atl

Tony Romo vs Wash

Andy Dalton vs Min

Jat Cutler @ Phi

Russell Wilson vs Ari

Aaron Rodgers vs Pit

Tom Brady vs Bal

Ben Roethlisberger @ GB

Kirk Cousins vs Dal

Comments: Colin Kaepernick could be the winning ingredient this week as Michael Crabtree continues to get healthy and with a great matchup against a poor Falcons defense. Russell Wilson has a very tough matchup against a great Cardinals defense. Keep your expectations in check this week.

RB

LeSean McCoy vs Chi

Jamaal Charles vs Ind

Matt Forte @ Phi

DeMarco Murray @ Wash

Eddie Lacy vs Pit

Knowshon Moreno @ Hou

Zac Stacy vs TB

Le'Veon Bell @ GB

Alfred Morris vs Dal

Marshawn Lynch vs Ari

Ryan Mathews vs Oak

Frank Gore vs Atl

Reggie Bush vs NYG

Rashad Jennings @ SD

Adrien Peterson @ Cin

Chris Johnson @ Jac

Giovani Bernard vs Min

Bobby Rainey @ StL

Ben Tate vs Den

Ray Rice vs NE

Andre Brown @ Det

Shane Vereen @ Bal

Fred Jackson vs Mia

CJ Spiller vs Mia

Stevan Jackson @ SF

Jordan Todman vs Ten

Chris Ivory vs Cle

DeAngelo Williams vs NO

Danny Woodhead vs Oak

Montee Ball @ Hou

Comments: Expect a tough game from Marshawn Lynch this week. He may grind out a decent game but the Arizona defense is legit. If Adrien Peterson plays (as of now we're not sure) he will move up the list. You're playing Russian roulette with any Patriots RB. Shane Vereen is your best bet but there is not guarantee that he produces with this backfield.

WR

Calvin Johnson vs NYG

Josh Gordon @ NYJ

AJ Green vs Min

Brandon Marshall @ Phi

Dez Bryant @ Wash

Alshon Jeffery @ Phi

Demaryius Thomas @ Hou

Antonio Brown @ GB

Andre Johnson vs Den

Keenan Allen vs Oak

Pierre Garcon vs Dal

DeSean Jackson vs Chi

Eric Decker @ Hou

Vincent Jackson @ StL

Julian Edelman @ Bal

Jordy Nelson vs Pit

Torrey Smith vs NE

Mike Wallace @ Buf

Marques Colston @ Car

Kendall Wright @ Jac

Michael Crabtree vs Atl

Roddy White @ SF

Brian Hartline @ Buf

Danny Amendola @ Bal

TY Hilton @ KC

Anquan Boldin vs Atl

Riley Cooper vs Chi

Larry Fitzgerald @ Sea

Dwayne Bowe vs Ind

Wes Welker vs Hou

Comments: Kirk Cousins clicked great with Pierre Garcon last week. Look for more of that against a poor Dallas pass defense that let Matt Flynn throw all over them. Julian Edelman showed last week that he is the #1 WR in this offense when Rob Gronkowski is out. He is quietly approaching a 1,000 yard season. Look for him to continue to put up receptions.

TE

Jimmy Graham @ Car

Julius Thomas @ Hou

Vernon Davis vs Atl

Jason Witten @ Was

Jordan Cameron @ NYJ

Greg Olsen vs NO

Delanie Walker @ Jac

Tony Gonzalez @ SF

Dennis Pitta vs NE

Charles Clay @ Buf

Antonio Gates vs Oak

Martellus Bennett @ Phi

Heath Miller @ GB

Coby Fleener @ KC

Garrett Graham vs Den

Comments: Look for Delanie Walker to have a good game this week against Jacksonville. Walker has shown that when he is healthy he can contribute. Charles Clay has been a sneaky play this year and i expect a great game against a poor Buffalo defense.

Monday, December 16, 2013

The 'Way too early' 2014 rankings(Updated April 29, 2014)
These rankings are going to sever as the super early rankings for drafts come 2014 draft time. Now, let me be clear. These will probably change a lot throughout the next 6 months. There is so much that is going to happen this offseason and a lot of these rankings are speculation on what will happen with certain players (Eric Decker, Ben Tate, Knowshon Moreno, etc.). Rookies will be exempt from this list for now until the draft comes to pass. I've always come to enjoy whenever a fantasy analyst makes these types of rankings just to look and see. Please feel free to point out any players you feel are too high or low. I hope you enjoy :)

QB

Peyton Manning- Losing Decker and Moreno may hurt his value just a tiny bit but make no mistake, Manning can win you a week all by himself.

Aaron Rodgers- Rodgers is as good as they come.

Drew Brees- Still has plenty left in the tank.

Matthew Stafford- Tons of passing attempts every year.

Matt Ryan- He'll be getting Julio and Roddy back healthy hopefully.

Colin Kaepernick- Getting a healthy Crabtree back will help.

Robert Griffin III- With the addition of Jackson, the sky is the limit for RGIII.

Nick Foles- I may be reaching but I'm a believer.

Andrew Luck- On and off year in 2013. Could be higher than this.

Tom Brady- With questions regarding Gronkowski's health, can Brady still perform with the elite?

Russell Wilson- With a healthy Harvin he could be gold.

Cam Newton- The WRs in Carolina are really bad and the surgery has me worried.....

Philip Rivers- Was the resurrection season a fluke? Keenan Allen helps his cause.

Tony Romo- Has finished as a top 12 QB for 3 straight years.

Jay Cutler- Chicago locked him up and if he stays healthy could be solid.

Ben Roethlisberger- Showed a lot of chemistry with Antonio Brown.

Andy Dalton- Very inconsistent but had his fair share of very good games. Always has AJ Green.

Sam Bradford- Assuming he stays with St. Louis. Was on pace for over 4,000 yards passing before injury.

Eli Manning- It can't get any worse than 2013 for Eli.

Michael Vick- If he's starting for the NYJ in 2014 he will have value. Still has health concerns.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Position Rankings
Some teams have already started their playoffs. Others begin their playoffs this week. If you're still around and made the playoffs then congratulations!!! It's Playoff Time!!!

QB

Peyton Manning vs SD

Drew Brees vs StL

Nick Foles @ Min

Cam Newton vs NYJ

Matthew Stafford vs Bal

Philip Rivers @ Den

Matt Ryan vs Wash

Tony Romo vs GB

Russell Wilson @ NYG

Andrew Luck vs Hou

Aaron Rodgers @ Dal

Tom Brady @ Mia

Robert Griffin III @ Atl

Colin Kaepernick @ TB

Ben Roethlisberger vs Cin

Comments: Beware of Tom Brady this week. He plays a Miami defense that is pretty good against opposing QBs and is without his top weapon, Rob Gronkowski, for the rest of the season. The same goes for Robert Griffin III. Word is flying around that Kirk Cousins could be played this week in an attempt at the Redskins to shelf RGIII the rest of the season.

RB

Jamaal Charles @ Oak

LeSean McCoy @ Min

Matt Forte @ Cle

Knowshon Moreno vs SD

Eddie Lacy @ Dal

Marshawn Lynch @ NYG

DeMarco Murray vs GB

Zac Stacy vs NO

Alfred Morris @ Atl

Shane Vereen @ Mia

Andre Brown vs Sea

Le'Veon Bell vs Cin

Ben Tate @ Ind

Steven Jackson vs Wash

Maurice Jones-Drew vs Buf

Frank Gore @ TB

CJ Spiller @ Jac

Ryan Mathews @ Den

Bobby Rainey vs SF

Giovani Bernard @ Pit

Reggie Bush vs Bal

Rashad Jennings vs KC

Toby Gerhart vs Phi

Chris Johnson vs Ari

Fred Jackson @ Jac

Pierre Thomas @ StL

Ray Rice @ Det

Rashard Mendenhall @ Ten

Danny Woodhead @ Den

Montee Bal vs SD

Comments: A sneaky play this week could be Toby Gerhart, as he plays against a terrible Eagle run defense... only if he is cleared to play. Stay away from Reggie Bush this week a he is still recovering from a calf injury. Throw in the fact that he is playing the stingy Baltimore run defense and it has disaster written all over it.

WR

Josh Gordon vs Chi

Calvin Johnson vs Bal

Demaryius Thomas vs SD

Alshon Jeffery @ Cle

Dez Bryant vs GB

AJ Green vs Pit

Andre Johnson @ Ind

Eric Decker vs SD

DeSean Jackson @ Min

Antonio Brown vs Cin

Brandon Marshall @ Cle

Keenan Allen @ Den

Jordy Nelson @ Dal

Roddy White vs Wash

Torrey Smith @ Det

Riley Cooper @ Min

Pierre Garcon @ Atl

Larry Fitzgerald @ Ten

Vincent Jackson vs SF

Marques Colston vs StL

Julian Edelman @ Mia

Cecil Shorts vs Buf

Harry Douglas vs Wash

Dwayne Bowe @ Oak

Mike Wallace vs NE

Steve Smith vs NYJ

TY Hilton vs Hou

Victor Cruz vs Sea

Steve Johnson vs Jac

Brian Hartline vs NE

Comments: Alshon Jeffery is going to have another monster game this week. Shutdown cornerback Joe Haden will be playing on Brandon Marshall, which will open up even more opportunity for Jeffery. Lower your expectations for Marshall. I also like Keenan Allen to build upon his 2 TD performance last week as San Diego will have to pass a lot to keep up with Peyton Manning's elite weapons.

TE

Jimmy Graham @ StL

Julius Thomas vs SD

Vernon Davis @ TB

Greg Olsen vs NYJ

Jordan Cameron vs Chi

Tony Gonzalez vs Wash

Delanie Walker vs Ari

Jason Witten vs GB

Charles Clay vs NE

Antonio Gates @ Den

Dennis Pitta @ Det

Garrett Graham @ Ind

Coby Fleener vs Hou

Jordan Reed @ Atl

Heath Miller vs Cin

Comments: Look for Delanie Walker to have an amazing game this week as he plays the worst defense against opposing TE's, and it isn't even close. Arizona is DEAD LAST against TE's. Dennis Pitta made his season debut with a bang as he recorded 6 receptions for 48 yards receiving and a TD to go along with 11 targets! This week he will play a soft Detroit pass defense. Look for him to contribute more as he continues to dust the rust off.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

A: It's close but I prefer Chris Johnson vs Den. This game could, as always, end up in a shootout. that could mean a lot of dump off passes for Johnson. Also, I like Tennessee's chances of keeping Denver honest by running the ball with CJ2K to help keep Manning off the field. Roll with Johnson.

Q: St. Louis or Oakland defense. St. Louis has been the better defense this season, but Oakland plays the Jets...- Michael Posey via Facebook
A: Yes, the Rams defense has been better this season, but for this week I like Oakland better. Any team that is playing the NY Jets has a great chance of putting up a massive amount of points. Over the past 3 weeks each has scored at least 16 fantasy points against the Jets. Defense are averaging 12 fantasy points a game against NY. That's incredible when you think about it. In most of my leagues I have grabbed Oakland if able to. I'd roll with them this week.

Q: Alex Smith of KC vs Was or Cam Newton of Car vs NO? and a defense that I could pick up off the waiver wire?- Jimmie Martin via Facebook
A: even though Alex Smith has the easier matchup, Cam Newton is a stud and must be started here. Newton has been on fire lately and could continue that trend this week. As a rull of thumb, you always start your studs in Fantasy football, and Cam Newton is a stud. Start Newton with confidence. Next, the defense that I have been telling everybody to pick up and stream is the Oakland Raiders. As stated above, Oakland plays a terrible NY Jets team that is in disarray. If Geno Smith continues to perform badly will he be benched again? then the Oakland defense will be staring at playing against a backup QB. All defenses love to see that :)

Comments: Nick Foles was declared the starter for the Eagles by head coach Chip Kelly for the next 1,000 years. That is not a typo. That is exactly what the coach said. kelly has confidence in foles, as he should have, and foles is producing at an amazing level. the Detroit pass defense is not good at all. Expect a good game from Foles. Even though Russell Wilson was amazing on Monday night against the Saints, i don't expect another crazy game this week against a much improved 49er's defense. temper your expectations a bit.

RB

Jamaal Charles @ Wash

Matt Forte vs Dal

Adrian Peterson @ Bal

Eddie Lacy vs Atl

DeMarco Murray @ Chi

Knowshon Moreno vs Ten

Marshawn Lynch @ SF

Andre Brown @ SD

LeSean McCoy vs Det

Reggie Bush @ Phi

Ben Tate @ Jac

Le'Veon Bell vs Mia

Chris Johnson @ Den

Alfred Morris vs KC

Maurice Jones-Drew vs Hou

Shane Vereen vs Cle

Ray Rice vs Min

Bobby Rainey vs Buf

Zac Stacy @ Ari

Frank Gore vs Sea

Steven Jackson @ GB

CJ Spiller @ TB

Gio Bernard vs Ind

Lamar Miller @ Pit

Donald Brown @ Cin

Fred Jackson @ TB

Rashad Jennings @ NYJ

Chris Ivory vs Oak

Rashard Mendenhall vs StL

Danny Woodhead vs NYG

Comments: Even though Bobby Rainey has had a very rough past 2 weeks, those 2 weeks were against very hard rushing defenses. This week he gets a soft Buffalo defense that should allow him to spread his legs. Even during those terrible performances over the past 2 weeks, the Buccaneers gave Rainey the ball at least 17 times. Andre Brown continues to get it done for fantasy owners. Since his return from injury, Brown has scored 8 points or more in ever game. He will continue that trend against a middle of the road chargers defense. Start Brown with confidence.

WR

Calvin Johnson @ Phi

Brandon Marshall vs Dal

AJ Green vs Ind

Dez Bryany vs Chi

Alshon Jeffery vs Dal

Josh Gordon @ NE

Andre Johnson @ Jac

Vincent Jackson vs Buf

DeSean Jackson vs Det

Torrey Smith vs Min

Demaryius Thomas vs Ten

Antonio Brown vs Mia

Larry Fitzgerald vs StL

Pierre Garcon vs KC

Keenan Allen vs NYG

Victor Cruz @ SD

Jordy Nelson vs Atl

Eric Decker vs Ten

Riley Cooper vs Det

Roddy White @ GB

Michael Floyd vs StL

Wes Welker vs Ten

Harry Douglas @ GB

Kendall Wright @ Den

Mike Wallace @ Pit

Julian Edelman vs Cle

TY Hilton @ Cin

Cecil Shorts vs Hou

Michael Crabtree vs Sea

Dwayne Bowe @ Wash

Comments: Roddy White looks to be getting his legs back underneath him after an injury filled season. This week he plays against a Packers defense that has been burned as of lately. Get him in your lineup. the same goes for Michael Floyd. While most opposing defenses are trying to stop Larry Fitzgerald, Floyd has been sneaking away with the fantasy points. He is creeping up on posting a 1,000 yard season. Keep him in your lineups!

TE

Rob Gronkowski vs Cle

Jimmy Graham vs Car

Jason Witten @ Chi

Tony Gonzalez @ GB

Vernon Davis vs Sea

Julius Thomas vs Ten

Greg Olsen @ NO

Garrett Graham @ Jac

Coby Fleener @ Cin

Antonio Gates vs NYG

Jordan Reed vs KC

Delanie Walker @ Den

Jordan Cameron @ NE

Jared Cook @ Ari

Heath Miller vs Mia

Comments: Look for Jared Cook for a sneaky play this week. Cook plays an Arizona defense that is dead last against TE's, and it isn't even close. Also, Greg Olsen is a great play this week as the Panthers play an angry Saints team that was just embarressed against the Seahawks on Monday. Carolina will have to throw a good amount to keep up.

Comments: Look for Josh McCown to have a great game against a very poor Minnesota defense. The Vikings defense is 31st against opposing QBs. Andrew Luck may continue to struggle this week against a very good Titans defense.

RB

Adrian Peterson vs Chi

Jamaal Charles vs Den

Matt Forte @ Min

Marshawn Lynch vs NO

Andre Brown @ Wash

LeSean McCoy vs Ari

Frank Gore vs StL

Eddie Lacy vs Det

Chris Johnson vs Ind

Alfred Morris vs NYG

Reggie Bush vs GB

DeMarco Murray vs Oak

Rashad Jennings @ Dal

Knowshon Moreno @ KC

Maurice Jones-Drew @ Cle

Zac Stacy @ SF

Giovani Bernard @ SD

Ray Rice vs Pit

Shane Vereen @ Hou

Fred Jackson vs Atl

CJ Spiller vs Atl

Le'Veon Bell @ Bal

Ben Tate vs NE

Danny Woodhead vs Cin

Steven Jackson @ Buf

Andre Ellington @ Phi

Lamar Miller @ NYJ

Chris Ivory vs Mia

Stevan Ridley @ Hou

Donald Brown vs Ten

Comments: I really like Andre Brown this week against a terrible Washington defense. Washington is terrible on defense and in the past 3 weeks since Brown's return he has averaged 13 points a game. Look for it to continue this week. Andre Ellington could be a nice sleeper pick this week as he plays the poor Eagles defense. The Eagles are 19th in the league against RBs.

WR

Calvin Johnson vs GB

Brandon Marshall @ Min

AJ Green @ SD

Dez Bryant vs Oak

Demaryius Thomas @ KC

Josh Gordon vs Jac

Antonio Brown @ Bal

Jordy Nelson @ Det

Alshon Jeffery @ Min

Andre Johnson vs NE

DeSean Jackson vs Ari

Vincent Jackson @ Car

Larry Fitzgerald @ Phi

Victor Cruz @ Was

Pierre Garcon vs Was

Wes Welker @ KC

Keenan Allen vs Cin

Michael Floyd @ Phi

Harry Douglas @ Buf

Torrey Smith vs Pit

Riley Cooper vs Ari

Eric Decker @ KC

Mike Wallace @ NYJ

TY Hilton vs Ten

Jarrett Boykin @ Det

Kendall Wright @Ind

Percy Harvin vs NO

Rod Streater @ Dal

Dwayne Bowe vs Den

Nate Burleson vs GB

Comments: Lower expectations for DeSean Jackson this week as he will be shadowed by Patrick Peterson all game. Peterson is an elite cornerback that is capable to shutting down Jackson. Vincent Jackson might be a sneaky play this week. Even though he is playing the stout Carolina defense, Mike Wallace was able to burn them for 127 yards receiving and 1 TD in week 12. Brandon Marshall & Alshon Jeffery are both top 10 plays this week and both will produce against that horrendous Vikings pass defense.

TE

Rob Gronkowski @ Hou

Jimmy Graham @ Sea

Jason Witten vs Oak

Julius Thomas @ KC

Vernon Davis vs StL

Jordan Cameron vs Jac

Coby Fleener vs Ten

Greg Olsen vs TB

Tony Gonzalez @ Buf

Antonio Gates vs Cin

Martellus Bennett @ Min

Delanie Walker @ Ind

Jordan Reed vs NYG

Garrett Graham vs NE

Rob Housler @ Phi

Comments: Coby Fleener continues to play as a top 10 TE. With Reggie Wayne out of the lineup, Fleener's targets have gone sky high. Tennessee is nothing special against TE's. I like Jordan Cameron's chances to right the ship this week against Jacksonville. Cameron seems to perform well with Brandon Weeden at QB, which is exactly what will happen this week since Campbell looks like he won't be able to go.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Monday Night Football PreviewWashington RedkinsQB Robert Griffin III- RGIII has had an up and down season. This week he plays the 49er's and their top 10 ranked defense against QBs. The 49er's have done a great job holding all QB's to below average numbers. The only reason RGIII has a decent game is because of his ability to run.Projected points: 16RB Alfred Morris- Believe it or not but the 49er's have been pretty rough against the run this year. They are the 21st in the league against RB's and surrender 16 points per game to RBs. Morris has been solid this year and I feel it continues. Don't be scared to roll with Morris because he is playing the 49er's defense. Projected points: 13WR Pierre Garcon- Garcon has become a stud WR as of lately. This week he plays against a very tough 49er's pass defense. This defense is 5th against opposing WRs. Due to the injury to Leonard Hankerson and Jordan Reed, I'm seeing a few more targets go Garcon's way. Projected points: 14WR Santana Moss& Aldrick Robinson- Both players see an uptick in fantasy value but not by much. Remember, this is a tough pass defense. Projected points: 4 eachTE Fred Davis- With Reed being ruled out with a concussion, Davis will get the start at TE. Davis is a very athletic TE but has had a hard time performing in his career. Robert Griffin III has liked to target his TE's lately so that may bode well for Davis. Projected points: 4San Francisco 49er'sQB Colin Kaepernick- Kaep has not had he season we thought he was going to have. This week he has a very juicy matchup against a poor Washington defense that is 28th against QB's for fantasy purposes. I love the matchup and feel Kaep has one of his good weeks. Projected points: 24RB Frank Gore- Gore has enjoyed a fantastic season, scoring double-digit points in all but two games. This week he gets a Washington defense that is second to last against the run! Make no mistake about it; the Washington defense is really bad. With this being a run first team, I like the chances of Gore having a great game. Projected points: 15WR Anquan Boldin- Boldin has not had a consistant fantasy season at all. It's hard to count on somebody who is on a run-first team and doesn't get enough looks. He is worth a start in this fantastic matchup but don't expect the moon from him. Projected points: 8TE Vernon Davis- As stated many times in this article, Washington is really bad on defense. Washington is 24th against opposing TEs. With 8 TD's on the season, Davis is ready for a great game. Projected points: 13**Please feel free to follow me on Twitter @CTonyRow. Send me your fantasy questions and they might be chosen for the Fantasy Mailbag section.

Comments: Case Keenum is a great play this week. I wouldn't worry about being benched again. I can see a multiple TD game against a very poor Jacksonville defense. The same goes for Mike Glennon in what could be a shootout in Detroit.

RB

Matt Forte @ StL

Jamaal Charles vs SD

Adrian Peterson @ GB

Zac Stacy vs Chi

Frank Gore @ Wash

Eddie Lacy vs Min

Andre Brown vs Dal

Ben Tate vs Jac

Knowshon Moreno @ NE

Alfred Morris vs SF

Reggie Bush vs TB

Rashad Jennings vs Ten

Chris Johnson @ Oak

Le'Veon Bell @ Cle

Demarco Murray @ NYG

Stevan Ridley @ Den

Maurice Jones-Drew @ Hou

Shane Vereen vs Den

Ray Rice vs NYJ

Bobby Rainey @ Det

Chris Ivory @ Bal

Ryan Mathews @ KC

Danny Woodhead @ KC

Andre Ellington vs Ind

Chris Ogbonnaya vs Pit

Donald Brown @ Ari

DeAngelo Williams @ Mia

Rashard Mendenhall vs Ind

Trent Richardson vs Ari

Montee Ball @ NE

Comments: Look for a huge game from Zac Stacy as he plays against a very poor Chicago defense. The Bears defense has not been able to stop the run this year and Stacy should have a very good game. I wouldn't expect the monster game we saw last week from Bobby Rainey. He is playable but downplay your expectations.

WR

Calvin Johnson vs TB

Andre Johnson vs Jac

Vincent Jackson vs Det

Demaryius Thomas @ NE

Dez Bryant @ NYG

Brandon Marshall @ StL

Victor Cruz vs Dal

Jordy Nelson vs Min

Wes Welker vs NE

Josh Gordon vs Pit

Alshon Jeffery vs StL

Pierre Garcon vs SF

Torrey Smith vs NYJ

Eric Decker @ NE

TY Hilton @ Ari

Larry Fitzgerald vs Indy

Danny Amendola vs Den

Kendall Wright @ Oak

Antonio Brown @ Cle

Keenan Allen @ KC

Jarrett Boykin vs Min

Hakeem Nicks vs Dal

Michael Floyd vs Ind

Anquan Boldin vs Wash

Aaron Dobson vs Den

Steve Smith @ Mia

Dwayne Bowe vs SD

Cecil Shorts @ Hou

Rueban Randle vs Dal

James Jones vs Min

Comments: I would stay away from Antonio Brown this week. It's hard to sit him but with Brown jumping on Haden Island this weekend, it's hard to trust him. Joe Haden kept AJ Green to 2 receptions for 7 yards receiving last week. The same goes for TY Hilton as he will be matched up with Patrick Peterson this weekend, a very good cover cornerback. Expect a great game from Wes Welker as he plays his former team. Players that play their former teams seem to always play great and put up great fantasy numbers.

TE

Rob Gronkowski vs Den

Vernon Davis @ Wash

Julius Thomas @ NE

Jason Witten @ NYG

Coby Fleener @ Ari

Antonio Gates @ KC

Greg Olsen @ Mia

Delanie Walker @ Oak

Garrett Graham vs Jac

Jordan Cameron vs Pit

Heath Miller @ Cle

Martellus Bennett @ StL

John Carlson @ GB

Rob Housler vs Ind

Charles Clay

Comments: I like Coby Fleener's chances of continuing his good games as he plays an Arizona defense that is last in the league against TEs from a fantasy standpoint. Even though Antonio Gates is playing a very strong defense in KC, the one minor weak point of that defense is against the TE position, which makes him a viable play this week.

Side Note: All Thursday Night players from New Orleans and Atlanta have been excluded from this list.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Biggest Surprises of the Year
Here comes that time again. We posted a piece a week ago about looking back on our drafts and noticing the biggest busts of the year. Now we're gonna take a look back and find the biggest surprises of the year so far.

10. Riley Cooper- Before this season, Cooper was in the news for all the wrong reasons. Now, Cooper has shown that DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy aren't the only weapons in Philadelphia. Cooper is on pace for career highs in every statistical category. As of right now, Cooper is a very strong WR2 to finish the season.9. Peyton Manning- Everybody saw Manning having a good season with all of the weapons at his disposal. Nobody saw THIS though. As of the writing of this article, Manning was on pace for 5,714 yards passing and 54 passing TDs, both of which would be NFL records! What we are witnessing this year we may never see again. It truly is historical, not only from an NFL perspective, but from a fantasy football perspective as well! Manning is averaging 32.4 points per game this season. To put it in perspective, last years top QB, Drew Brees, averaged right about 25 points per game.8. DeSean Jackson- Jackson is playing in his 6th year in the NFL and has only 2 years of over 1,000 yards receiving and has never scored over 10 TDs. He is on pace to setting bests in both categories. It's fair to say that Chip Kelly's new offense is suiting Jackson very well. He is on pace to finishing as a top 5 WR.7. Eddie Lacy- There seemed to be a lot of promise from Lacy coming out of college. Then the reports came during camp that Lacy had ballooned to over 250 lbs. Adding in the fact that the Green Bay Packer offense revolves around Aaron Rodgers and a pass-first philosophy, and it doesn't bode well for any RB in Green Bay. Rodgers wen't down with an injury and Lacy has been asked to pick up the pieces of the offense. Lacy has recorded at least 22 carries in all contests since week 5 except one and is on pace for 1,100 yards rushing. That's incredible when thinking back to the state of RBs that Green Bay has put together in recent memory.

6. Antonio Brown- When Mike Wallace skipped town to play for Miami a lot of people knew that Brown would get more looks in the passing game. He has done so much more than that. In PPR leagues, Brown has been solid gold this season. In standard leagues, Brown is averaging over 12 points a game and is on pace to destroy his season bests in ever stat category. It's fairly easy to see that Brown is filling in as Pittsburgh's #1 WR very well.

5. Terrance Williams- The rookie out of Baylor has looked very strong this year. At the beginning of the year, Williams was a minor blip on the radar. Due to injuries to Miles Austin, Williams has been thrown into a prominent role in a very pass happy Dallas Cowboy offense. With this opportunity, Williams has flourished. Since week 5, Williams has a TD grab in every week except one (week 9). Tony Romo has shown that he trusts Williams.

4. Keenan Allen- Rookie WRs usually don't do much in their first years. This year we have two that have shown a lot of promise in their first years (Williams and Allen). Allen was projected to be a first round draft pick until an injury in his last college season caused his draft stock to drop. Allen is on pace for nearly 1,000 receiving yards this season, something that hasn't been done very often in the NFL. The resurgence of Philip Rivers has helped also.

3. Knowshon Moreno- Moreno had a lot of promise coming out of Georgia 5 years ago, but due to multiple injury filled seasons, that promise has not come to pass. This year, while the yardage hasn't necessarily been there, the TDs have. There was a lot of question mars on whether or not star rookie Montee Ball would take over the starting RB duties right off that bat. Moreno has shown that he can lead this team in rushing and be a reliable receiver as well. Moreno is on pace for over 1,400 total yards this season and about 15 total TDs. Incredible stuff considering he was written of as a bust.

2. Philip Rivers- Rivers was wrote off as done and over with after his awful season last year. Add on that San Diego lost Danario Alexander (their top WR last year) to injury this off-season and it's just throwing fuel on the fire. With the emergence of Keenan Allen along with Antonio Gates, Rivers is now a starting QB from a fantasy perspective again. As of this writing, Rivers was on pace for 4,700 yards passing and 30 TDs. A big improvement from the previous year.

1. Zac Stacy- The gold medal goes to.... Zac Stacy! Stacy came into the NFL as a 5th round draft pick this year. The rookie out of Vanderbilt had back-to-back 1,000 yard season in the SEC. This year, Stacy is on pace to rushing for almost 1,000 yards. This comes after he recorded just ONE rushing attempt in his first four starts! Stacy has solidified his status as an up and coming RB for years to come possibly. He reminds me a lot of a RB from last year that nobody really knew coming into the season named Alfred Morris :) Look for much more to come from Stacy going forward. Oh and just fyi, I called for Stacy to have fantasy relevance before preseason began. He was on my sleeper list to win the RB job out of St. Louis :)

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Fantasy MailbagThese
are questions that have been sent to me through Facebook or Twitter. Feel free
to send me any question(s) you may have on Twitter @CTonyRow. Enjoy
:)Q: Is Bobby Raineys 34 point game legit or an anomoly? Obviously he won't score that every week but can he be trusted as a RB2?- Will Bolin via FacebookA: In all honesty I'm going to go with a fluke. Rainey has a lot of talent but if you loko at his schedule to finish the season he has a few defenses that are good against the run. This week he gets Detroit in what I feel will be a shootout. Next week get gets Carolina, who is the best team against the run in fantasy. After that it's Buffalo who, believe it or not, is ranked 6th against opposing RBs in fantasy football! He is worth a roster spot but I think he is a flex option at best and I would look elswhere for you starting RBs.Q: Reed or Gates at TE this week?- Jimmie Martin via FacebookA: Both Reed and Gates are on my hate list for this week. You can view that here: http://fantasyfootballwar.blogspot.com/2013/11/lovehate-for-week-12.html. If I had to choose one of the other, it would probably be Reed. This ins only if he is cleared to play due to the concussion he sustained last week. It's close between the two since they both have very tough matchups but I'd go Reed. If Coby Fleener is a Free Agent in your league I'd pick him up and start him over both Reed and Gates this week.Q: Panthers d vs. Miami or 49er's vs. Washington? - Jimmie Martin via FacebookA: I like the Panters defense here by a lot. Washington can put up points and that will hinder the Redskins defense. Carolina is the #2 ranked defense coming into this week and is playing a very poor Miami offense. Miami will be in trouble all night and I see a few turnovers for Miami in this game. the Carolina defense is legit.Q: What really is the best format for a true reckoning of a fantasy football manager's prowess? Head to head seems more luck than skill. - Michael Posey via FacebookA: If you are referring to the rotisserie scoring style, I'd stay away from it. Rotisserie is where you take your overall stats and compare them to other teams in the league and that is how scoring is done. There is no 'head to head'. It's just not as fun! head to head you have a face to your opponent and matchups make more of a difference. this all takes skill as well. If you are really trying to mix things up in your league, I would start an auction draft next year. Action leagues are incredible. They allow all the players to be up for grabs for anyone. It all depends on how much you are willing to spend. Usually in an auction league you start with $200 at the draft and spend that money to field a 15 or 16 player team. you can purchase any player you want as long as you can outbid the other owners in your league. Also, you have to budget wisely, because that $200 will go fast! It's a lot fo fun and adds a whole new dynamic to the draft :)**Please feel free to
follow me on Twitter @CTonyRow. Send me your fantasy questions and they might be
chosen for the Fantasy Mailbag section.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Love/Hate for Week 12QBLoveColin Kaepernick- I know most have ridiculed Kaepernick for a majority of this season, but for this week we can all stand behind him. This week Kaep get the lowly Washington defense that ranks 28th against QBs. I expect him to run wild in a high scoring game. Thos that did not lose faith on Kaep and are trying to make a playoff push will be rewarded by him this week.

Mike Glennon- If you have Foles, Wilson, or dalton on a bye and need that bye week replacement, Mike Glennon is your man. glennon has scored over 17 points in every game he has played this year except one. This week he gets the Detroit Lions defense that ranks 20th against QBs. Detroit has done decent against the run so I expect the Tampa Bay run game to stall a good amount during this game. Start glennon with confidence.

HatePhilip Rivers- Rivers has enjoying a nice little career resurrection this season. as of lately, unfortunately, he has slown down. This week he will play against the might Kansas City defense that just held Peyton Manning to 16 fantasy points. If you have other options at QB it would be wise to start them.

Robert Griffin III- the past couple week have been very nice to RGIII owners. I wouldn't expect the same this week though. this week RGIII gets the San Francisco defense that ranks 7th against QBs. this defense just held Drew Brees to 1 passing TD and a mediocre 16 fantasy points. As stated above with Rivers, if you have another option it might be wise to site RGIII for this week.

RBLoveZac Stacy- I have been a huge fan of Stacys since he was back in college. You can ask a few people in my main league. I called for Stacy to be the lead back in St. Louis before preseason. I've loved everything about his game. He has made me look like a prophet this year :) This week Stacy gets the Chicago defense that is not what they used to be. Chicago is 26th against fantasy RBs! also, chicago just let a fading Ray Rice look like Barry Sanders in his prime! Everybody jump on the Stacy train!

Rashad Jennings- Assuming Mcfadden is out again this week, I really like Jennings and what he brings to the table. This week Jennings gets a Tennessee defense that is 24th against opposing RBs. this defense just allowed Donald Brown to run wild on them. If you need a RB for a bye-week fill in, Jennings is your man.

HateReggie Bush- Bush has been hot and cold this year it seems. this week he plays against a Tampa Bay defense that is playing at a different level than 3 weeks ago. Tampa Bay ranks 10th in the league against opposing RBs. I would keep your expectations in check for the week.

Ray Rice- There you are Ray Rice! Last week we got to see what we all knew Rice was capable of. Unfortunately this week Rice plays against the NY Jets and their stingy run defense. New York ranks 2nd in the league against opposing RBs. I wouldn't expect last weeks production to continue. It was a mirage. Treat it as such.

WRLoveJordy Nelson- It seems the week of work at practice for Scott Tolzein worked wonders on his chemistry with Nelson. Last week Nelson recorded his best game since Aaron Rodgers went down with an injury, recording 117 yards receiving on 8 receptions. It's obvious Tolzein is looking Nelsons way more and more. This week Nelson plays against the Minnesota defense that ranks 22nd against opposing WRs. Keep Nelson in your lineups.

Vincent Jackson- I said last week that Jackson would get out of his funk that he was in and he didn't dissapoint, posting 165 yards receiving and 1 TD. It gets even better this week as Jackson plays against the Detroit Lions and their 31st ranked defense against fantasy WRs. this defense just allowed Antonio Brown to put up 147 yards receiving and 2 TDs! there is no way you aren't starting Jackson.

HateAntonio Brown- Brown has had an incredible year up to this point. I have him in a mojority of my leages and have loved the production. Unfortunately, this week Brown comes up against the Cleveland Browns and JOE HADEN ISLAND. Yes, Joe Haden is that good. Last week, Haden held AJ Green to 2 recepton for 7 yards receiving. It's hard to sit someone of Browns level but lower your expectations for this week by a lot.

TY Hilton- hilton has been pretty good since Reggie Wayne went down with the injury a few weeks ago. This week, Hilton plays a very good Arizona defense. Add on top of that the fact that Patrick Peterson will be riding Hilton all day and it spells disaster. I would look towards other options.

TELoveGreg Olsen- Olsen has caught a TD pass in 3 out of his past 4 weeks. I see that streak continuing this week against a Miami defense that just allowed Coby fleener to post over 100 yards receiving last week. Miami may be good against WRs but they are terrible against TEs, ranking 29th in the league. keep rolling with Olsen.

Coby Fleener- fleener has been spectacular lately! the injury to Wayne has increased his targets and receptions and last week he experienced his best game as a pro. This week he has a dream matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals are dead last in the league against TEs. With Peterson playing on hilton all day, I expect a great game from Fleener again.

HateAntonio Gates- Gates had a very good game last week recording his first TD since week week 4. I don't expect it to continue this week as the San Diego Chargers play the might Kansas City defense. KC is first in the league against opposing TEs. I'd try to find a better option this week.

Jordan Reed- Even if Reed suits up and plays this week (suffered a concussion last week), I still don't like his chances. Washington plays New Orleans this week and the matchuup is very bad for TEs. Add in that he is banged up and it spells bad things for Reed.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Monday Night FootballNew England PatriotsQB Tom Brady- While Brady did have a great week 9, I do not anticipate that to be the case this week. This week Brady gets the Carolina defense that is #1 against opposing QBs. they have shut down their fair shair of QBs this year. While Brady is rounding into form and has all of his weapons currently, it's hard to imagine him throwing up amazing fantasy numbers this week. Projected points: 18 RB Stevan Ridley- Ridley has been on fire as of lately. He has scored double-digit fantasy points for 4 straight games. This week he gets a Carolina defense that held Frank Gore and Adrian Peterson to single digits. I'm not anticipating a great game from Ridley but I will project a rushing TD. Projected points: 9RB Shane Vereen- This will be Vereens first game back since week 1. He will be involved I'm sure but I worry about how many touches he will get considering it is his first game back. Projected points: 5WR Danny Amendola- Carolina is first against WRs (Do you notice a pattern here with the Carolina defense?). Amendola is healthy and playing well. He played very well against a good Pittsburgh defense. Again, keep your expectations in check. Projected points: 8TE Rob Gronkowski- If there is a weakness in the Carolina defense, it's here. They are in the middle of the league against opposing TEs. Gronk has been playing very well lately and I anticipate a fantastic game from him tonight. Projected points: 15Carolina PanthersQB Cam Newton- With New England losing Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo on defense, New England is going to have a hard time stopping Newton. Wilfork and Mayo were both the top run stoppers on the team. Newton loves to run the ball and succeeds at it also. He should have a good game on the ground. Projected points: 24RB DeAngelo Williams- Williams has played well but with the addition of Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert in the backfield it is hard to expect much from Williams. The touches just seem to be more and more split between the 3 (along with Cam Newton). Projected points: 5RB Mike Tolbert- Tolbert is THE goal line RB for Carolina. I'm banking on a redone TD for him but don't expect much more than that. Projected points: 8WR Steve Smith- Smith has been a big disappointment this season. This week he gets New England. NE does a very good job of shutting down an opposing offenses so I'm not expecting anything spectacular from Smith tonight. Projected points: 6WR Bandon LaFell & Ted Ginn Jr.- These guys are desperation plays at best. It's hard to guess which player will produce a TD so I'm going to project the same amount for both.Projected points: 5TE Greg Olsen- Olsen has scored a TD in two out of the past 3 weeks. New England isn't anything too scary when it comes to TEs. I'm anticipating a good game from Olsen along with a TD. Projected points: 12**Please feel free to follow me on Twitter @CTonyRow. Send me your fantasy questions and they may be chosen for the Fantasy Mailbag section.

Sunday Reaction
This is the instant reaction from all the major stories in each week.

Detroit vs. Pittsburgh

Antonio Brown is a must start (if you didn't already realize that). If you play in a PPR league he is fantasy football gold! In this game against the Lions he posted 147 yards receiving and 2 TDs. Even thought he did most of that damage in the first quarter, it is pretty obvious the he gets the most looks and opportunities on the Steeler offense.

This just in, Calvin Johnson is kind of good. Johnson put up similar numbers to Brown, throwing up 179 yards receiving and 2 TDs. He is the best receiver going forward for sure.

Le'Veon Bell had a decent game considering he couldn't get anything really going on the ground (18 carries for 36 yards). His pass catching ability saved his fantasy day. He still stands as a high RB2 going forward.

NY Jets vs. Buffalo

Geno Smith & EJ Manuel continue to show fantasy owners that they can't be relied on. Even though Manuel had a good game, it is hard to depend on him for consistency.

Chris Ivory may just be the real deal. He has had 3 great games out of his past 4. As long as he can stay healthy, he will be a viable option going forward.

Fred Jackson suffered a small injury early in the game but was able to return. Even with the return, he couldn't get anything going on the ground. It is hard to trust Jackson or CJ Spiller as anything more than a low end RB or flex play at best.

Baltimore vs. Chicago

Is Ray Rice finally back?! Rice put up his best game of the season posting 131 yards rushing on 25 carries plus a rushing TD. It is hard to state Rice is back but it is very good to see him put up good numbers against a decent defense. He may work his way back int the RB2 rankings after this week.

Matt Forte had a slow start but finished strong posting over 120 total yards and a receiving TD. He is a must-start from here on out.

Brandon Marshall & Alshon Jeffery came back down to earth, with Jeffery posting 83 yards receiving and Marshall posting 42.

Cleveland vs. Cincinnati

The talent that Josh Gordon has is incredible. He started the day slow, then caught a deep pass to finsh the day with 125 yards receiving and 1 TD. Keep him in your lineups.

I had AJ Green in my sit column on the start/sit post I made a couple days ago. I thought he was gonna have a bad game, but not this bad. Green finished the day with 2 receptions for 7 yards! Haden Island is for real. Next week Joe Haden gets Pittsburgh and I am really thinking about benching Antonio Brown in every league I have him in. You have been warned!

Washington vs. Philadelphia

Nick Foles continues to put up solid fantasy numbers. As I stated, i think he is the real deal and will keep his job since he keeps winning for Philly. He has the weapons and seems comfortable in the offense.

LeSean McCoy went out of this game with an injury in the second quarter but was able to return (Phew!). He was able to punch in 2 TDs. McCoy started off slow but finished very strong in this outing. He is a top 4 RB and must-start every week.

Riley Cooper and DeSean Jackson had a quiet day fantasy-wise. Jackson finished with 82 yards receiving and no TDs. There is no questioning that Jackson is the top WR in this offense. Cooper on the other side had his worst performance with foles at QB, finishing with 37 yards receiving. We knew Cooper had to cool off sooner or later and it happened this week. I wouldn't lose faith in him just yet. He still stands as a good WR3.

Robert Griffin III was able to salvage a decent fantasy day thanks to his 4th quarter performance. The Redskins trailed by a lot in most of this game so it forced them to throw the ball to catch up, therfor letting RGIII help our fantasy lineups.

Alfred Morris had another solid day, piling up 93 yards rushing on 22 carries. He would have had more go his way but as stated above the Redskins fell behind and had to abandon the run. I am shocked he was able to produce as much as he did. Morris is a very consistant starter from here on out.

The past few weeks have treated Pierre Garcon very well. This week he had a juicy matchup and did not produce. Garcon finished with 6 receptions for 68 yards. I would not fret over Garcon's production from this game. He is still a low end WR1 and good for the rest of the season.

Atlanta vs. Tampa Bay

Hello, Bobby Rainey! Rainey received 30 carries and posted 163 yard rushing! Given it was against the poor Atlanta defense, thos are still incredible numbers! It will be interesting to see how Tampa Bay uses Rainey going forward. He is a great bye-week plug in next week.

Vincent Jackson was my 'Start of the Week' this weekend and he did not dissapoint. Jackson rebounded from 3 very poor games to post 10 receptions for 165 yards and a TD. Next week he gets Detroit, who was just tourched by Antonio Brown. Keep him in your lineups.

It was great to see Roddy White score a TD this week, but it was garbage time TD. I still would be hesitant to start him going forward.

Harry Douglas continues to produce great numbers. Douglas posted 6 receptions for 134 yards receiving and a TD. Going forward, I like Douglas as a strong WR3 and possibly a low end WR2.

Arizona vs. Jacksonville

Michael Floyd posted his bets game of his career. He received 193 yards through the air and 1 TD. I wouldn't read too much into it. This was only his second game over 10 points. He is a bye-week filler or flex play at best.

There isn't much to report from this game. Larry Fitzgerald scored a TD and Maurice jones-Drew continues to be inconsistent.

Oakland vs. Houston

Rashad Jennings might very well replace Darren McFadden when McFadden comes back. jeenings continues to produce as a running. He posted 150 yards on the ground this week. the more I look at Jennings the more I like him. I hope the Raiders see what they have and realize what McFadden is NOT!

We may very well be seeing the same thing between Matt McGloin and Terrelle Pryor. McGloine threw for 3 TDs! The yardage wasn't necessarily (197 passing yards) but it was nice to see the TDs. Nevertheless, I will need to see more from McGloin if he is going to be fantasy relevent.

Case Keenum was having a decent game until he was benched for Matt Schaub. WHAT?! I do not know what is going through Gary Kubiak's head but it is fairly obvious that Keenum is a better QB than Schaub. We will see throughout the week whether the Texans decide to keep Keenum as their starter or go back to Schaub. All Andre Johnson owners are pulling for Keenum.

Speaking of Andre Johnson... he continued to click with Keenum. Upon Keenum getting pulled from the game, Johnson was looking good. After the game Johnson and Matt Schaub seemed to have words on the sidelines and it didn't look good at all. It's pretty obvious that with Keenum at QB johnson is a borderline top 5 WR. With Schaub at QB he drops out of the top 10 for sure.

San Diego vs. Miami

Considering Phillip Rivers was playing a very tough defense against QBs, his numbers weren't all that bad. He threw for 1 TD and 1 interception along with almost 300 yards passing. He has cooled off over the past few weeks but he is still a QB1 for sure.

Keenan Allen had a rough game this week posting 3 receptions for 45 yards. I wouldn't worry too much about it. He has established himself as the clear-cut #1 WR in this offense and Rivers seems to trust him the most.

Ryan Mathews outperformed Danny Woodhead this week. I still like Woodhead going forward but these weeks may happen from time to time.

Mike Wallace and Lamar Miller continue to dissapoint. The San Diego run defense is very tough so it was hard for Miller to find room to run, but Daniel Thomas received more carries this game! I don't know if I can trust Miller at all the rest of the season. Meanwhile, Wallace put up yet another dissapointing game, posting 4 receptions for 39 yards receiving. It's getting close to the point that Wallace is droppable but I would keep him on your bench for sure.

San Francisco vs. New Orleans

Colin Kaepernick posted decent numbers considering the Saints defense was top 10 against opposing QBs. I like him more going forward due to his schedule. even though he didn't put up a lot of rushing yards, it was still good to see him post over 20 yards rushing.

Vernon Davis is still a solid WR1 and posted good numbers this week (4 receptions, 33 yards, 1 TD). As long as he stays healthy he is a solid TE1.

Jimmy Graham had yet another quiet game. It seems that opposing defense are more and more trying to stop Graham and making that a priority. He is still a top 2 TE but he will not post those 20+ point games he was at the beginning of the season. This week he posted 6 receptions for 41 yards receiving but it was nice to see he had 11 targets. Just limit your expectations going forward.

I'm a little shocked that Frank Gore didn't play better. In this game he posted 13 carries for 48 yards. the Saints aren't very good against the run and so a lot of people thought they would have ran a lot more with Gore. i would just chalk it up to one of those games where things seem to happen.

Green Bay vs. NY Giants

The Packers offense continues to struggle to put up points but it was great to see Jordy Nelson back to putting up good numbers (8 receptions for 117 yards receiving). Without Aaron Rodgers Jordy drops in value but he is still a good WR. Keep him in the lineups.

Eddie Lacy struggled this game. I'm just going to chalk this one up to one of those games also. He is a RB1 going forward for sure.

Andre Brown put up 8 fantasy points, which is a far cry from what he posted last week but he will continue to get the carries in NY since he is the only RB with any talent.

It was good to see Victor Cruz post over 100 yards receiving but it was still far from what we wanted to see in this matchup. The yardage may continue to be there but the TDs have fallen off so far.

Reuben Ranlde may actually be for real. He has outperformed, from a fantasy perspective, Hakeem Nick most weeks and lately has become a TD machine. He is'nt getting the targets but the few that he does get he makes the most of. I like him going forward as a WR3. Randle has scored a TD in 5 of his past 6 games. That sounds nice :)

Minnesota vs. Seattle

Even though Adrian Peterson received 21 carries this game he still did struggle. The Seattle defense is very good all the way around and did a good job of stopping Peterson. I would not be too worried about Peterson though. He is still a top 5 RB the rest of the way.

Russell Wilson posted a very good game, throwing for 2 TDs and no interceptions. He continues to finish the season on a high note just like he did last season.

I stated in an earlier blog post that it was going to take Percy Harvin a few weeks to be able to get back into game shape. I was right. Even though Harvin did have a good return on a kickoff, he posted a miserable 1 reception for 17 yards. He will get better as he goes but rememeber he is coming off a major injury. It'll take time.

Marshawn Lynch continues to show us why he is a top 5 RB, posting 2 TDs on the ground. Obviously he is a must start each week.

Kansas City vs. Denver

Montee Ball continues to frustrate fantasy football owners. Ball scored 2 goal-line TDs while Knowshon Moreno had 27 carries for just 79 yards. I would just chalk this up to being a spurt of situation. the situation called for Ball. Obviously Moreno is the RB to own going forward. Nothing has changed here.

Wes Welker received a concussion at the end of this game. We will have to wait and see what the injury report says in the coming week. We hope he can play because this week he plays against his former team, the New England Patriots. On a little side note, Brandon Flowers was on Welker all night and taking cheap shots all day on him. It makes me so angry to see my favorite player in the NFL getting tossed around over and over again after plays have been blown dead. There is no room for that in the NFL.

Demaryius Thomas is amazing. Nothing else needs to be said about that.

Peyton Manning had his worst game of the season but that was expected against the elite Kansas City defense. The good news is his ankle looked fine. Don't worry about this game going forward.

Jamaal Charles had his worste game of the season. It was fairly obvious that Denver was trying to eliminate Charles and his ability in open space out of the game. they did a fairly good job of it. Charles is still a must-start each week and I wouldn't put too much thought into this game.

**Please
feel free to follow me on Twitter @CTonyRow. Send me your fantasy questions and
they may be chosen for the Fantasy Mailbag section.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Fantasy vs. Reality
This is where we look at players that have had recent success and decide if they are fantasy (not here to stay and just a fluke) or reality (here to stay and continue to contribute). Enjoy :)

WR Riley Cooper- In the past 3 games Nick Foles has been QB for the Eagles, Cooper has scored more than 18 points! That's a ridiculous amount of scoring for any WR! It is fairly obvious that Nick Foles enjoys throwing the ball to Cooper. The real question is will Cooper continue to put up these ridiculous numbers. He probably won't but he will still produce at a WR2 output. He's here to stay.Verdict: RealityQB Nick Foles- Foles is 4-0 in games that he has finished this season. How can a head coach argue with that? Throw into the mix that Foles has not thrown a single interception this season and you have a QB that is going to continue to start. I wouldn't worry about Vick getting his starting position back. Foles has plenty of weapons in this offense to continue to succeed, and that is exactly what he will continue to do. Verdict: RealityRB Donald Brown- The few carries Brown has been getting he has made the most of. On Thursday, Brown completely butchered the Titans defense to the tune of 80 yards rushing and 2 TDs on only 15 total touches. He is by far the better RB in the offense. Even if he doesn't continue to get the rock for carries he will still continue to perform in the 7-12 point range per week. That isn't a bad thing at all with all of the question marks at RB this year. Donald Brown > Trent Richardson. Verdict: RealityWR Marvin Jones- In week 8, Marvin Jones went off for 36 points and jumped off the chart. In the past 2 weeks he as scored 6 points total. It is pretty evident that Jones is coming back down to earth after his monster performance. With AJ Green being AJ Green and Jermaine Gresham hurt, and at the same time letting Tyler Eifert jump in rankings, Jones will continue to be a player that should sit on your bench. Verdict: FantasyRB Pierre Thomas- Over the past 3 weeks Thomas has put up over 8 points each week. Those are very serviceable numbers. Having said that, Pierre Thomas is a mirage. Each week Darren Sproles continues to get more and more healthy and that does not bode well for Thomas owners. The more healthy Sproles becomes the more touches he will continue to take away. Mark Ingram is also in the mix. Finally, the New Orleans Saints are a pass first team (Obviously!). Verdict: FantasyRB DeAngelo Williams- 2 out of the past 3 weeks Williams has scored a TD. This is great news considering he didn't score a TD at all the first 7 weeks of the season. While Williams has played very well the past couple weeks I don't see it continuing. Jonathon Stewart is still working his way back into playing shape and Mike Tolbert is the goal line back. Throw into the mix that Cam Newton is a mobile QB and there just seems to be too many mouths to feed in this Panthers backfield. If you can sell high in a trade it would be very wise to do so now. Verdict: Fantasy

Friday, November 15, 2013

Fantasy MailbagThese are questions that have been sent to me through Facebook or Twitter. Feel free to send me any question(s) you may have on Twitter @CTonyRow. Enjoy :)Q: Cam Newton vs your Pats or Alex Smith vs Denver this week? I need help.- Jimmie Martin via FacebookA: In case people didn't know, I'm a die hard New England Patriots fan. Hence the "your Pats" comment made by Jimmie here. Having said that, I'd have to go Newton in this case. Alex Smith has been very up and down this season and there have been more downs than ups. With the conservative play the Chiefs employ, I would keep Smith on the bench. On the other hand, Newton is playing a Patriots defense that is without Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo. Those are 2 key pieces to their defense. I expect a good game of rushing for Newton to make a decent fantasy day. I'd go Newton over Smith easily.Q: Is MJD a top 15 RB for the rest of the year now? How does the suspension of Blackmon affect him?- Jonah Donze via FacebookA: On my Rest of Season (ROS) rankings I made a few days ago I had MJD at 18th. He has been playing well lately as a pass-catching RB but I can't put him in the top 15. He has some tough defense coming up soon with Arizona, Houston (twice), and Tennessee. The suspension of Blackmon will actually have a negative impact on MJD's value going forward. Now, opposing defenses can stack the box instead of respecting the pass in Jacksonville. Cecil Shorts is a good WR but there is so much he can do having Henne throw him the ball. I'm seeing more 8 and 9 men in the box to stop MJD going forward.Q: What's your feeling on Charles Clay (TE) for the rest of the season?- Michael Posey via FacebookA: Clay started the season off on a very high note and because of that he is still a top 12 TE in most rankings right now. He has had a very rough past 4 games and I believe I know why. Due to the recent offensive line woes, Clay has been asked to block more than usual to help protect Ryan Tannehill. This is hindering his fantasy value in a negative way by a lot. Because of this, I'm not seeing much out of Clay the rest of season. If he was on my team I'd probably keep him on my bench or look towards other options in Free Agency. I'd put him in the 18-21 range for TE's in a Rest of Season (ROS) rankings. He just isn't doing much with his opportunities. That team on offense is in a lot of trouble and I'd stay away from almost all of their players.Q: Is the Nick Foles-Riley Cooper connection the real deal or a fluke? Also who would come out ahead in a Marshawn Lynch, DeSean Jackson for AJ Green, Eddie Lacy trade?- Will Bolin via FacebookA: Great questions. As for the first, I am a firm believer that the Foles-Cooper connection is for real and here to stay. Cooper is showing us that Jackson isn't the only deep threat the Eagles have at their disposal. I don't anticipate the gawky numbers he has put up lately to continue but 10+ points a game isn't unreasonable. If you look at my Rest of Season Rankings (ROS) I posted a few days ago, I have Cooper as a top 25 WR the rest of the way, and I feel I was being conservative on that. He could easily be top 20 ROS. As for the trade you asked about, I like the side that is getting Lynch and Jackson. Lynch is easily a top 3 RB the rest of the way and Jackson will continue to perform. Green is a top 3 WR but Lacy isn't up to Lynch's caliber. Lynch is on a run first team. That's solid gold for Lynch owners. I wonder what Lacey's value will be once Rodgers returns. I'm sure he will still be productive but not quite as much as we're seeing now. It's a close deal but I like the Lynch/D. Jackson side of the deal.**Please feel free to follow me on Twitter @CTonyRow. Send me your fantasy questions and they may be chosen for the Fantasy Mailbag section coming soon!!!!!

About Me

I've been playing Fantasy Football for over 10 years. I've had a lot of successes and a lot of failures. I play to win. No matter what people say, Fantasy Football is a year round process. It's not an obsession, it's a passion :)